Call for papers
Journal of Social Policy 50th anniversary issue
The future of Social Policy debates
In 2022 the Journal of Social Policy will publish a special issue to mark its 50th anniversary. The issue will feature some reflective pieces looking back at the development of Social Policy over the past 50 years and the contribution it has made to various debates. However, this issue will also look forward and showcase debate on the future of Social Policy. We are therefore calling for abstract submissions for papers that explore themes most likely to shape the field of Social Policy in the future, and that discuss how research agendas could be developed to address these themes. We invite critical discussion on the importance of new directions for academic work and for the world beyond, where Social Policy becomes practice.
Because of the special scope, we expect articles to be slightly shorter than normal submissions to the Journal of Social Policy (5000-6000 words). Authors may engage with data analysis, but submissions building on secondary literature in an analytical way are also welcome. The approach chosen should be made clear in the submitted abstract. We particularly welcome critical reflection on how current shortcomings in addressing the issues under consideration can be overcome.
Submissions from scholars at all stages of their career are encouraged – the selection of papers for inclusion in the Anniversary Issue will be based on originality, salience and the likely contribution to debate. Furthermore, we welcome internationally mixed submissions. Please note that we are unlikely to select papers that solely engage with case studies of individual countries for this call. While geographical cases may be reference points, manuscripts should seek to make contributions that are relevant for the international readership of the Journal of Social Policy. Articles explicitly discussing the importance of regional variation in perspectives on Social Policy would be of interest.
Abstracts that address dimensions of inquiry currently underrepresented in mainstream Social Policy debates are particularly welcome. However, all discussions should be explicitly connected to Social Policy. The following list is suggestive of some priority areas, though should not be treated as exhaustive:
- Non-Western perspectives on social policy
- Social Policy and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people
- The climate crisis and ecological sustainability
- Contemporary transformations in work and employment
- Health and disability
- Gender
- Alternative/new methodologies and changing approaches to research
- Explicitly interdisciplinary approaches
Interested authors should submit their abstracts (max 300 words) by 31 August 2020. Based on the abstracts, a selection of authors will be invited to submit full manuscripts, which will undergo normal peer-review (invitation to submit a manuscripts does not guarantee publication).
Please submit the abstract in a Word (.doc or .docx) document of 1 A4 page only containing the following information:
- Suggested title
- Abstract (max. 300 words)
- Names of all authors with affiliations
- Email address of the corresponding author
Please send your document via email to JSP@ed.ac.uk and state JSP Anniversary Issue abstract as your subject line.
We will provide a response by the end of September. The deadline for submitting full manuscripts upon invitation will be 30 April 2021 after which the peer review process begins.
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